The President of the Association of Cattlemen of the Coast and Galapagos, Carlos Encalada, describes as a “completely correct measure” the Government’s decision to authorize the carrying of weapons for civilian use for personal defense to those who meet the conditions in accordance with the Law, the Regulations in addition to the Law on Weapons, Ammunition and Explosive Substances and according to appropriate authorizations. In this sector, security – due to the distance in the countryside – is more complex than in the urban area, and this is where the importance of the adopted measure stands out.

After twelve years, the carrying of weapons for civilian use for personal defense was allowed again

On April 1, President Guillermo Lasso announced the carrying of weapons for civilian use for defense. How does the Association undertake this measure?

It is a perfectly appropriate measure, as long as the controls on the issuance of permits to carry and own weapons are rigorous by the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, it is the duty of the state to guarantee the safety of citizens and it is the universal right of the individual to be able to exercise his legitimate defense, it is impossible to ask that the Government assign us a police officer to take care of us, the population was helpless at the mercy of crime, today I believe that a big step has been taken to restore our safety and the safety of our families.

How do you take a curfew and carry a weapon at work?

If this constant demand of the sector is now becoming a reality, how will this measure be socialized with farmers, because the procedure must be respected?

Security in the countryside due to the distance is much more complicated than in urban areas, that’s where the importance of the weapon carrying sector in the rural areas that we defended lies. It is important that the trade union gets to know the news and we will do that, as a trade union institution we will also give legal advice to people who want to start processes for obtaining their permits.

How will they use this measure?

The implementation must be carried out by those who issue the appropriate permits, in this case it is the Arms Control Center of the Armed Forces of Ecuador, it corresponds to each of the ranchers, if it is their will and if they meet the conditions, access to the permit, we will be there to help you in any which way.

We are already in contact with the head of the Guayas Arms Control Center to set a date and discuss what will be the requirements established by the Joint Command of the Armed Forces for obtaining permits to carry and possess.

What is the difference between owning and carrying a weapon

Where will they bring the weapons?

Young people don’t remember that prior to 2009, the issuing of permits for carrying weapons was in force, herders had them, large imports are not needed and we will not worry about that, there will be herders who need to renew their weapons and they will have to get them from importers trained by the Joint Command of the Armed Forces.

In August, a decree was issued allowing ranchers and shrimp farmers to carry and own guns. How many in your sector have already followed the procedure and how many ranchers are currently legally carrying guns?

It was a Decision of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, but it took almost four months until they trained the Arms Control Information System (Sincoar) in which requests for obtaining permits to carry and possess are recorded, there are about 700 permits among those that are in force. ​and those that must be renewed, only in Guayas.

Herdsmen carry out procedures for carrying weapons again after the decree is issued

Is the current governor of Guayas, Francesco Tabacchi, part of the livestock sector, do you think he had an influence?

Definitely, as the former president of this institution and a connoisseur of the reality of the livestock sector, he invested his good services in order for the President of the Republic Guillermo Lasso to cancel the disastrous Executive Decree that prohibited the carrying of weapons for civilian purposes. That decree was signed in 2011 and to this day we have seen crime in this country reach peppery numbers, it was time to correct a big mistake that was made in the past. As the livestock sector, we thank the governor for all his efforts in the fight against crime.

How many robberies were reported in 2022 and so far in 2023?

The crime of cattle theft is defined by law as rustling, the numbers are not exact, because most of the herdsmen who are victims of this crime do not want to report it, experience has taught them that even when the cattle are detained, the rustlers leave after a few days with precautions and want to take revenge on those who denounced them, they also do not return stolen cattle and demand money for all “procedures”.